31st Annual “Burtonsville Day” Parade and Festival Returns on Saturday, Sept. 24, with Theme of ‘Discovering East County’

The Marilyn J. Praisner Library and Community Recreation Center is located at 14906 Old Columbia Pike in Burtonsville. The parade will lead to road closures in the area, so attendees are encouraged to stake out positions early. Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich is among those expected to attend Burtonsville Day.

The parade will begin at 10 a.m. .at Paint Branch High School, with the line of march ending at the Praisner Center.

At the festival, there will be food trucks and vendors representing a variety of hometown favorites, international cuisines, craft, and exhibitors. Games and fun activities for all ages will be part of the activities. Two stages will provide continuous live performances of music, dance, and martial arts.

Musical performers scheduled include:

• DuPont Brass: A unique, soulful brass ensemble hailing from the D.C. Metropolitan area got its start when five Howard University music students began playing in local Metro stations to raise money for tuition during the Christmas season. Since then, they have grown to a nine-piece ensemble featuring brass, a rhythm section and vocalists. The group has developed a sound that mixes genres including jazz, hip-hop and R&B. DuPont Brass has performed in conjunction with the D.C. Jazz Festival, the Washington Performing Arts Society and on the prestigious Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.
• Ayo: Born in Atlanta and raised in Nigeria, Ayo has been a Strathmore-in-Residence 2020 artist who has previously performed with Chance the Rapper, Andra Day and Common.. Ayo’s smooth pop vocals channel messages of empowerment and address important political issues of the times.
• Be Steadwell: The Washington, D.C. singer-songwriter redefines the love song in a modern context with jazz, a cappella and folk roots. Steadwell draws her inspiration from less-known, underground artists.

The festival also will offer the opportunity to learn about services offered by Montgomery County Government and area nonprofits. Festival booths will have health screenings, public safety details and information on constituent services.

For the event, Old Columbia Pike will be closed from Old Briggs Chaney Road (Paint Branch High School) to the Marilyn J. Praisner Library from 9:30 a.m. until approximately 11:30 a.m. Perrywood Drive will be closed from Carson Drive to Old Columbia Pike from 9:30 am until approximately 11 a.m.

More information on Burtonsville Day is available at https://www.burtonsvilleday.org/.